Western Dry Rocks - Of the four main marked areas for diving in front of Key West, Western Dry Rocks is the furthest West. This area is marked and there are buoys for your boat, but it's not a designated Sanctuary Protected Area (SPA). That means you can fish or spearfish here as well as dive and snorkel. If you're into diving, then you might want to choose Eastern Dry Rocks, Rock Key, or Sand Key Lighthouse, all of which are SPAs. Western Dry Rocks, since they are not a preserve, have less game fish like Grouper. The fish that are here are more spooky, which means they are more wary of people in the water. These fish have lost friends and family to people bearing spearguns and fishing poles!
Diving at Western Dry Rocks will still be super and wonderful, however. You might see Cero Mackerel in season, or bar jacks who are exciting because they can be larger and swim fast in packs. Lots of reef fish to see, and great coral specimens as well. Western Dry Rocks is less apt to be crowded with other boats since it's further away than the other three marked diving areas. Chances are you'll have the spot all to yourself, which is rare for Sand Key and the other areas. That's because the big Key West water sports companies take their diving boats and snorkel excursions to the Sand Key area, and Glass Bottom Boats are almost always on Eastern Dry Rocks.
|
